Bale loader



April 1952 M. R. HAASYE 2,593,023

BALE LOADER Filed July 22, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

ATTD R N EYE M. R. HAASE April 15, 1952 BALE LOADER 5 SheetsSheet 2Filed July '22, 1947 ATTD R N EYS M. R. HAASE BALE LOADER April 15, 1952Filed July 22, 1947 5 Sheets$heet 4 IN VEN TOR. Me rim/ 2. f/JQZ 5eATI'D R N EYE April 15, 1952 M. R. HAASE BALE LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed July 22', 1947 EIIIIIIIIIIIIII VIII ' INVENTOR. M67233? 7?. H36:5e

By mjzw A1-ru RN EYs Patented Apr. 15, 1 952 BALE LOADER Merlin R.Haase, Berlin, Wis. Application July 22, 1947, Serial No. 762,606

' 2 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to an improved bale loader of the typeespecially adapted for use with a tractor from which the operating poweris derived and equally fittedfor loading bales of hay from the field toa wagon or truck and later removing and elevating the bales from thevehicle to the storage space in the barn.

, Generally the bale loader of my invention consists in an endlessconveyor, power operated through a take-off from the tractor, means forelevating the conveyor frame to clear obstacles, co-acting means forinverting the position of the conveyor so as to remove bales from avehicle, and means for reversing the conveyor mechanism. The endlessconveyor is fulcrumed near the rear end thereof on the tractor so thatthe front end may operate near the ground as the pick-up end, orelevated above the rear end, as the discharge end.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention according to the best mode Ihave thus far devised, but it will be understood that various changesand alterations may be made in the exemplified structure within thescope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the loader of my invention inposition to load bales from the ground.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the loader in position to remove balesfrom the vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the power take-off de- Vice.

'Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the guide post and,

bearing device upon which the conveyor is adjustedvertically.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the drive means for the conveyor.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view at line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the disassembled bracket structuresupporting the guide post.

Referring now to the drawings wherein I have illustrated the presentpreferred embodiment of my invention I utilize a conventional tractor 2having front wheels 4, and a rear axle 6 for the rear wheels 8.

The usual difierential I0 is incorporated into the rear axle housing I 2and has a take-off shaft I4 and pulley or sheave I Ii.

A post I3 supported on the rear axle housin I'2 journals one end of theshaft 20 which carries a sprocket wheel 22 for driving the conveyorchains24-which are trained over sprockets 26 on head and tail shafts,iou'rnaledin the conveyor frame 28. The sprockets on one end of theconveyor are driven by a chain 2I which ,is

trained over a sprocket 22 on the shaft 20 and end over a sprocket 25 ona shaft 21 at the head of the conveyor.

The extended end of the shaft 20 is journaled in a bearing I1 which issupported from the IBbyabrace I9.

The conveyor is provided with guide rails 30 at the sides which holdbales of hay in position.

thereon and the picking up end of the conveyor is provided with shoes 32that prevent the conveyor chains from digging into the ground. Thesprockets 26 in the pick-up end of the conveyor are mounted on a tailshaft 34 which is journaled.

in bearing blocks 36 at the ends of take-up bolts 38 which providesmeans for adjusting tension on the chains.

A transmission 40 having a gear shift lever 42 is mounted on the tractorand a shaft 44 extended from the transmission is provided with a pulley46 that is driven by a belt 48 fromthe pulley It on the drive'shaft ofthe tractor. The

transmission is also provided with a shaft ,5 Il

which is provided with a pulley 52 which through the belt 53 drives thepulley 54 on which shaft 20 is secured by collar 55. Obviously with thetrans mission mechanism, the direction of movement. of the belt 53 andthe chains may be reversed.-

bar between arms 64 braced at 66, so that the po-- sition of theplatform may be adjusted as desired.

The pulley 68 as shown in Figure 5 is driven by belt I0 from shaft I4which is secured to shaft 12 and the clutch plates 14 and I6 controlledby pedal ('8 permit the selective movement of shaft to dive throughbeveled gears 82 and 84, the shaft 86 having a wide sheave 88 for cable90. The clutch and sheave mechanism is supported on frame 92 rearward ofthe differential housing.

The cable extends forwardly and passes under sheave 94 and over pulley95 to the ring 98. Pulley 96 is journaled in the bracket 99 in thetelescoping pistons I00 and I02 of the hydraulic cylinder I04 mountedpivotally by a bolt I23 in an opening I25 of an extension I21 of thebracket 122 which is secured to the tractor by bolts I29.

The ring 98 is mounted on the lower end of a post I 06 of a brackethaving an outer post III! which is connected to the lower end of theDOSI'.

post a me by an am? 109 and the post we is provided with arms H0, theextended ends of which are provided with hubs H2 in which rods H4 aremounted. The rods H4 are formed with transversely disposed pins H6 onwhich balls H8 are mounted as illustrated in Fig. 6 and with the ballsH8 positioned in an angle iron post I20 the bracket extended from thepost IDS is free to travel upwardly and. downwardly inv the post.

The post I 2.01is carried. by a bar III which is positioned against'theouter surface of an extension I28 of a bracket I24 by a bolt H3, thebracket. being secured to the side of the tractor frame by bolts H5.

The bar III is supported by a bracket III which is positioned againstthe outer surface of:'

an extension I26 of the bracket: I22 and. bolted to the bracket by abolt I I9.

The bracket I22 is provided with a yokeor' fork I30 in which the sheave94 is journaled and the lower end' of the member I20 is provided withacushioning" spring I321-which issecured in, position by a-cap: I84.

Wi-th the conveyor in the position of Fig. :1 for picking up bales. fromthe ground, the conveyor is driven as described. and to clear anobstacle, the hydraulic cylinder is manipulated to' extend the cable andraise. the front. end. The winding sheave isnotr operated. for suchtemporary elevation.

However to utilize the. loader tov remove bales from a vehicle to astorage place the bales of course being positioned inwardly, the clutchis engagedtowind the cable whereupon the frame IiIIB-is elevated asseenin Fig. 2,v and to obtain.

maximumelevation the pistons I and: I02. are ex tenderii.v Thetransmission isthen shifted to reverse, and. the conveyor will operate.counterclockwise;

The loader of my invention may with facilitybe adapted to any existingtractor and will materially lessen the time and manpower required topick' up, remove, and store bales of hay.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention what claim: as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent. is;

1*. 1a aball' loader, the combination with a tractor-having arear axleand a power take-01f, of a'plurality of postsprojecting upwardly fromsaidrear'axle, a horizontally disposed shaft supported by said posts,aframe pivotally connected tosaid-sha-ft, an endless conveyor carried bysaid frame, guide rails extending longitudinally along said conveyor,shoes arranged on the front of saidframe, a chain trained over saidframe, means for adjusting the tension of said chain, atra-nsmissiondevice operatively connected to said power take-oil for controlling thedirection ofrotationof said shaft and said chain, a platform adjustablyconnected to the rear end' of 4 said frame, a clutch and sheavemechanism operatively connected to the power take-01f and arrangedrearwardly of the tractor, said mechanism including a sheave, a cabletrained over said sheave, a vertically disposed standard extendingupwardly from the tractor, a bracket slidably mounted in said standardand supporting said conveyor, said cable having its front end connectedto said. bracket for causing .pivotal movement of said conveyor, andhydraulic means for adjusting the position of said conveyor.

2. In a bale loader, the combination with a tractor having a rear axleand a power take-oil, ofla. plurality of posts projecting upwardly fromsaid rear axle, a. horizontally disposed shaft supported by said posts,a frame pivotally connected jtosaidshaft, anendless conveyor carried bysaid frame, guide rails extending longitudinally along said conveyor,shoes arranged on the front of said frame, a chain trained over saidframe, means for adjusting the tension of said chain, a transmissiondevice operatively connected to said power take-off for controlling thedirection of rotation of said shaft and said chain, a platformadjustably connected to the rear end of said frame, a clutch and sheavemechanism operatively connected to the power take-off arrangedrearwardly of the tractor, said mechanism including a' sheave, acabletrained over said sheave,

a vertically disposed standardextending upward- 1y from the tractor, abracket slidably mounted in said standard and supporting said conveyor,

said cable having itsfront end connected to said bracket, for causingpivotal movement of said.

conveyor, and hydraulicv means for adjusting the pQSltlOIl of saidconveyor, said hydraulic means including'cylinders arranged on. theSides of. the

tractor and adapted to be connected to a source of hydraulic .fiuid,pistons slidably arranged in said cylinders, andpulleys mounted on the.upper ends of said pistons and having said cables trained thereover.

. MERLIN R. I-IAASE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

